The Narrow Corridor

The internationally bestselling authors of Why Nations Fail explore how different societies develop, resolve, or fail to resolve, conflicts.

Based on decades of research, the authors present a powerful new big-picture framework in The Narrow Corridor. They explain how some countries progress towards and provide liberty, while others descend into despotism, anarchy, or are suffocated by norms. The book reveals how liberty can flourish even amidst new threats.

Liberty is rarely the 'natural' state of affairs. Historically, states have been either too feeble to protect individuals or too overpowering, preventing people from safeguarding themselves against tyranny. There's a comforting Western myth that liberty is a stable condition, reached through 'enlightenment'. However, liberty arises only when a delicate and persistent equilibrium is maintained between state and society, between elites and citizens.

This ongoing struggle encourages both state and society to evolve a richer set of abilities, influencing the peacefulness of societies, economic success, and how people experience their daily lives.

The Narrow Corridor illustrates this new framework with captivating stories from around the globe, spanning history and contemporary times. Accompanied by a single diagram where the development of any state can be mapped, this masterpiece aids in understanding the past and present, and provides tools to analyse the future.